A tragic decision in October 2012 changed the lives of 5 young people forever. One of these young men, Danzele Johnson, lost his life that day; the other four were convicted of his murder. These youths were committing a crime at the time of his death and are held responsible for his death under the crime of murder rule. The accusation provides long sentences for all four men, between 45 and 55 years. In the words of Elkhart County Prosecutor Curtis Hill, “If you start a fire you are responsible for everything that burns, even if it burns you…and that is the basis of the crime of murder,” (Yuill). The reasoning behind charging the young man The men with a crime of murder are valid, if they had not committed the crime, the death would not have occurred. The Elkhart four are now serving the severe sentences they deserve under the felony murder rule. Under Indiana's criminal homicide statute if a person dies during the commission of a crime, in this case burglary, the people involved in perpetrating that crime are responsible for that death (Harte) The youths in this case were attempting to burglarizing a house they believed was unoccupied at the time. They learned they were wrong when the homeowner came down with a gun and fired several shots. One of these shots hit and killed Danzele, he points out. "They had a plan and the plan went awry and as a result death occurred. The fact that death occurred to one of their companions does not nullify the law." (Yuill) The felony murder charge applies because these boys entered a stranger's home with the intent to burglarize it and Danzele was shot and killed during the commission of the murder. the crime. Are the other four young men responsible for his murder just as if they had pulled out...half the paper...eu?" Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy 32.3 (2009): 1155-85.ProQuest. Network. February 25, 2014 "Elkhart 4: Justice or Overkill?" Doctor Phil. 17 January 2014. Web. 1 March 2014. .Harte, Tricia Elkhart Co. Learns Felony Murder Convictions." WNDU16. Np, Sept. 12, 2013. Web. Feb. 24, 2014. "Code of Indiana." Indiana General Assembly. Indiana General Assembly, n.d. Web. Feb. 24, 2014 . Yuill, Melanie. “Reaction the day after Elkhart teens were convicted of murder.” 2013. Web. 24 February. 2014. .